by Hannah Reach

An immediate and visually impactful observation that any foreigner will make the second they step foot in another country is; what are natives wearing. You can consciously think about the apparel you see or you can let it just become an accepted aspect of your daily life’s backdrop, but, either way, it constantly surrounds you and is an essential part of that country’s culture. Clothing in a country cannot only indicate current trends and beliefs, but also historical values that are deeply engrained into that society. China especially has a culture strongly rooted in traditional ideologies and views that can be detected in the frequently seen attributes of clothing styles. My objective during my time in China has been to observe common themes in the apparel that local Beijing women have chosen and then determine the motivating factors for why they have chosen those items. I theorize that there are three main categories for clothing styles for women in Beijing, feminine, fashion conscious, and comfortable, and women are driven to choose these looks based on ideas of traditional gender role definitions, an emphasis on hierarchy, and value put into practicality.

by Abe Kruger

According to the International Futures Assessment Model, China and the United States are the two most powerful countries in the world. The United States may currently dominate in military power, quality of life, and per capita income, but the Chinese economy has been growing at a breakneck pace, with an average annual GDP growth of about 10 percent and a burgeoning population in the billions. As such, China and the US are simultaneously competing and cooperating, sharing and hoarding, opened and guarded. This unique state of affairs inevitably leads to the populations of each country having equally unique attitudes, perceptions, feelings, and thoughts towards their counterparts. Using an ethnographic approach, including fieldwork techniques such as observations, interviews, and immersion, this ethnography will explore the Chinese perceptions of and attitudes towards American people and the United States as a whole.

by Zach Rubin

A group of elderly Chinese people play mahjong next to a lake. Nearby others practice tai chi and square dancing. Some gather to play instruments and sing traditional songs, a few fish, and one man sells his Chinese calligraphy to pedestrians. Together, these people create a community in Jinchun Park (近春园) where they can spend their free time after retirement.
But how does this relate to the question of how the Chinese family structure has changed and is changing?

by Cody Grogan

Beginning in 1931, Japan began a series of excursions into China that eventually broke out into total war with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937. China’s communist government maintains that the Guomindang (国民党, formerly Romanized as Kuomintang) refused to offer resistance against Japan during this time period. While this is partially true, after 1937 millions of soldiers fought under Guomindang leadership against the Japanese. Many of these soldiers and most of their leadership later fought against the Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War from 1946-1949. This presents a significant problem for public memory in China. Memories are enshrined and maintained by museums and memorials, basically all of which in China are controlled by the government, and therefore the Communist Party.

by Mauricio Armaza

In many parts of the developed world, the past time of smoking cigarettes has been largely phased out by decades of increasing public awareness on the dangers of cigarettes. However, much of the world is still developing and a culture of smoking acceptance continues to permeate. Tobacco related deaths are currently at 5 million deaths annually worldwide and the number is expected to rise to 8 million by 2030. 80% of those will be in low/middle income countries such as those found in south and Southeast Asia. India and China are particularly susceptible, with the subject of this project being focused on China.

by Augustine Haam

Xi Jinping’s first speech as the president of China in 2013 revolved around the concept of a 中国梦 (zhōngguó mèng), the Chinese Dream. He claimed that “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a dream of the whole nation, as well as of every individual…The Chinese dream, after all, is the dream of the people”. Xi Jinping’s request was directed towards China’s youth, a youth that is gradually drifting from conservative Chinese traditions and finding themselves with unprecedented access to achieve their hopes and aspirations at the epicenter of the world’s fastest growing economy.

by Kara Smith

At the research proposal stage, my project was a very broad, general inquiry into the place of art in current Chinese society. I prepared one central question: “Is art viewed more as a field of employment or a pastime enjoyed, yet not relied upon for income?” In addition, I sought to find out whether or not people could support themselves working as artists, and how those people generally fared (any possible stigma that may have been attached to that was of interest). Since then, the project has undergone several changes.